The BC Hockey League (BCHL) announced the rosters for the 2024 Top Prospects Game on Tuesday, and six Penticton Vees have been named to the Interior Conference Roster.
Goaltender Will Ingemann, defenceman Francesco Dell’Elce, along with forwards Callum Arnott, Max Heise, Connor MacPherson, and Simon Meier will suit up for the Interior Conference.
The 2024 BCHL Top Prospects Game features NHL draft prospects split between the Interior Conference and Coastal Conference. The game is set for Friday, January 19th, at the SOEC; face-off is 6:00 pm. The Top Prospects Game is part of the BCHL All-Star Weekend in Penticton, January 19-20, 2024.
Tickets are on sale for the Top Prospects Game. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth aged 13-18, and children 12 and under free. Vees’ Season Ticket Members get complimentary tickets.
The two rosters were voted on by BCHL Head Coaches and General Managers, as well as input from NHL Central Scouting. Players listed by NHL Central Scouting on their Preliminary Players to Watch list from October received an automatic entry.
Ingemann is one of two goaltenders named to the Interior roster. The 18-year-old has played in 18 games and has posted a 13-2-1-1 record with a 1.68 goals-against average (GAA) and .934 save percentage (SV%). He has two shutouts. The rookie goaltender leads the BCHL in GAA and SV% and is tied for first in shutouts. His 13 wins is second-best in the league. Ingemann is committed to St. Thomas University.
Dell’Elce is off to a great start as the rookie defenceman has 23 points (7G, 16A) in 26 games. The King City, ON, product sits fourth overall in rookie defencemen scoring. His seven goals is fifth among defencemen. Dell’Elce was listed as a ‘C’ skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List, which indicates a second or third round candidate for the NHL Draft. Dell’Elce is committed to the University of Massachusetts.
Arnott, 19, leads the Vees in scoring with 28 points (13G,15A) in 26 games. He sits 11th overall in the BCHL scoring race. The Vees’ co-captain’s 13 goals is ranked seventh in the league. The sophomore forward has already set new career highs in goals, assists, and points. In 75 career regular season games, the King City, ON, product has 16 goals and 52 points. Arnott is committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Heise, 17, has eight points (4G, 4A) in 22 games this season. The rookie forward recorded his first career hat-trick on October 21st, in the Vees’ 6-4 win over the Merritt Centennials. The Calgary, AB, product was also ranked as a ‘C’ skater in October’s Preliminary Players to Watch List.
MacPherson sits third in team scoring with 26 points (6G, 20A) in 26 games. He is third in rookie scoring in the BCHL. The 18-year-old leads the Vees in assists and his four game-winning goals is ranked third in the league. MacPherson was ranked a ‘W’ skater in October’s Preliminary Players to Watch list, which indicates a sixth or seventh round pick. The Windsor, ON, product is committed to the University of New Hampshire.
Meier is fifth in team scoring with 23 points (6G, 17A) in 23 games. The Regensberg, SUI, native is in his first season with the Vees and is seventh in rookie scoring in the BCHL. The 18-year-old is currently attending Switzerland’s Under-20 Selection Camp, after being one of 28 players named to its preliminary roster for the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship. Meier is committed to Northern Michigan University.
Ingemann, and Arnott were also named to the Interior Conference roster for the All-Star Tournament and Skills Competition, which takes place on January 20th, on the downtown outdoor rink. They are joined by teammate Ryan MacPherson who was voted into the All-Star Tournament after a fan vote was conducted by the BCHL to determine the final seven players to participate in the tournament.
Tickets for the 2024 BCHL Top Prospects Game are available at the Valley First box office at the SOEC, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com